Die Ercallbahn - Fulfilling a childhood dream.

[TT-Pete]

1 hour ago, ian said:

 but my stock of rub-down German road markings that has been waiting a decade or two to find a use was past saving

 

Nooo! I also have a stock of ancient rub-down transfers, didn't realise they have a shelf life! 😲

 

[Oldddudders]

1 hour ago, TT-Pete said:

 

Nooo! I also have a stock of ancient rub-down transfers, didn't realise they have a shelf life! 😲

 

Does spraying with varnish help at all in preservation?

[ian]

They have endured extremes of temperature and humidity over, in the course of the oldest sheets, over 20 years. When last used (about 10 years ago) they were okay but now no amount of sneaky tactics like 'pre-release' are working so it was into the bin and order some more.

[TT-Pete]

Ooof. I went and checked mine out, I reseal them in the original packets after use and they live in a ziplock baggie so they seem to have survived the past ~25 years ok.

 

 

You can't get these anymore...

[ian]

16 hours ago, TT-Pete said:

I reseal them in the original packets after use and they live in a ziplock baggie so they seem to have survived the past ~25 years ok.

 

Mine didn't have the luxury of a plastic bag. Never mind, they are still available in the UK for under a tenner.

[ian]

A consignment of 43.5 scale km of blue wire has arrived at Neustadt to keep the wiring work going.

 

The big-wigs are wondering how to deal the fact it has arrived as a single length - and who they can blame!

[ian]

The re-wiring under Neustadt is complete so now I have a choice:

• build the helix and connecting tracks under Neustadt
• complete some scenic work on the existing sections of the layout
• or play trains.

 

No contest.

 

As a change from the train of Silberlinge suburban stock the electric railcar has got the main-line gig. It is captured entering Neustadt on its first revenue-earning journey.

And shortly afterwards in Gleis 3. The branch railbus is just visible as a splash of red behind it ready for onward passengers.

The trip freight has brought in a couple of wagons for the branch and a couple for Neustadt.

 

At this point things are being a little recalcitrant as no trains have run on the Neustadt and branch sections since the start of March and some of the items that have come out to play have never been used in an operating session before.

Like British Railways, the DB was a common carrier - it had to shift whatever freight was tendered. This large pipe has been put at the end of Neustadt's goods shed road awaiting the arrival of a mobile crane to trans-ship it to a lorry for the last leg of its journey.

 

The Marklin Relex couplers have a delayed uncoupling feature rather like Kadees - you can propel an uncoupled wagon to where you want to leave it.

Schwarzfelsen has gained an extra uncoupler - seen next to the coach - which has made running round the train easier and quicker.

 

The branch freight shunts Neustadt, The wagons on the left are being picked up to go along the branch, those on the right are being dropped off for collection by the trip freight. The brown vans are new bottles for the brewery and a returning empty), the white ones a load of beer going out  and a returning empty, whilst the open is returning empty having delivered a load of coal for the locos to Schonblick.

[ian]

Typical. You make a special journey to Schwarzfelsen to photograph the daily goods only to find that there is no traffic today and it isn't running.

A comparison of the ends of the battery-electric railcar and the railbus at Neustadt. The gap in that platform looks rather dangerous!

The 16:57 depature from Schwarzfelsen is usually the heaviest loaded train, hence it runs to three coaches rather than the usual two. Both day-trippers and workers use it to get back to civilisation.

With the day's schedule complete it is time to prepare for the next run.

 

Firstly, a small change to the operations - as the brewery has its own fleet of wagons (they just happen to be lettered for Dortmunder Union) it makes sense for the empties to live at the brewery and work out and back rather than work in when there is a load for them.

 

To make extra room on the second siding the buffers have had to be relocated slightly. I'll extend the track to match when the brewery next gets attention.

 

The pipe has been unloaded at Neustadt. The cradles remain in the wagon.

The trip freight has a new selection of wagons. The pipe that was unloaded at Neustadt is waiting to be reunited with its wagon on its return.

[ianathompson]

10 hours ago, ian said:

The 16:57 depature from Schwarzfelsen is usually the heaviest loaded train, hence it runs to three coaches rather than the usual two.

 

I might be wrong but I always understood the 3 axle post war rebuilds to run in pairs.

I think that they were semi permanently coupled.

When I had the N gauge layout I always ran an even number of them in a train.

 

(Unfortunately that reminds me that I have a whole load of continental N gaugge boxed up somewhere or other.

That might dangerously lead to a deviation from my proposed modelling path!)

 

Ian T

[ian]

5 hours ago, ianathompson said:

 

I might be wrong but I always understood the 3 axle post war rebuilds to run in pairs.

I think that they were semi permanently coupled.

 

 

It's a fair cop guv, I'll come quietly.

 

It is a case of the application of selective reality. Model manufacturers normally supply them singly and I don't have room for two pairs.

 

The same sort of logic applies to the Off 52 car transporters - coupled in pairs in reality, sold singly and for my purposes less really is more!

 

 

P.S. Ooh look! I've found the other half of my pair - it must have been withdrawn and left its sibling as a singleton. 😉

[ianathompson]

8 hours ago, ianathompson said:

(Unfortunately that reminds me that I have a whole load of continental N gaugge boxed up somewhere or other.

That might dangerously lead to a deviation from my proposed modelling path!)

 

I told you what might happen but I won't hi-jack your thread.

Read all about it here.

 

You will need to scroll to the bottom.

 

Ian T

[ian]

@ianathompson It looks as if you, like me, have gone through a large number of scale, gauge and continent permutations.

 

Fun isn't it?

[ianathompson]

3 hours ago, ian said:

It looks as if you, like me, have gone through a large number of scale, gauge and continent permutations.

 

Yeah. There's even more in the garden and the possibility of a rapid transit layout.

Don't know where that will live.

 

Ian T

[ian]

A little bit of work to progress the scenics is underway. The pavement at the front of Klinherhoffen station has been laid along with some fencing to stop people wandering onto the tracks.

 

The area in front of the flats has gained pavements and the start of the road markings along with some street lights.

 

The panel for Schwarzfelsen's third backscene has been cut to length. This one will get a coat of plain light blue.

 

Platform 1 at Neustadt has been lengthened to suit the new track layout. The lights have yet to be connected and it appears that there is an Australian signalman on duty today!

 

The Fish Market at Billshafen has had all its loose parts reattached and the loading platforms rejigged.

[TT-Pete]

That is really coming together nicely! Has a great look n' feel about it.

 

[ian]

On 15/07/2022 at 17:16, TT-Pete said:

That is really coming together nicely! Has a great look n' feel about it.

 

Thanks. I've been channeling my inner town planner.

 

Wednesday's trip freight has collected the empties from Neustadt so now the pipe can be reunited with its wagon and they can go back in their box.

Back at Neustadt two tankers have been delivered to the Shell depot, two container flats to the crane and three wagons to the branch interchange.

Unfortunately one of them should have gone to the goods shed. The branch goods crew sorted it out with time to spare.

Unusually there was an empty flat wagon for Schwarzfelsen. It needed to be left at the far end of the loop so it couldn't be spotted until the goods was ready to leave after the mid-day railbus.

What could it be there for?

Herr Rothe has been felling some trees and their mortal remains are on their way to a bright new future in the building industry.

The engine from the late-afternoon passenger train had to move the wagon whilst it was running round. As Herr R. was so prompt getting the wagon loaded it has been left somewhere where it won't be in the way tomorrow morning.

Edited July 16, 2022 by ian

[ian]

A new piece of ply has been fitted at the bottom of the incline and both tracks now run along the wall towards Maifeld instead of one curving out for a return loop.

 

Making use of of the sprung blades on the M-track points a temporary crossover has been fitted to allow trains to run down the hill on the track nearest to the wall, reverse and then run up the hill on the track nearest the camera.

 

The slalom on the uphill track has been eased slightly - looking at it in the photo it could be improved some more.

 

Onward to Maifeld!

[ian]

"You have got to know where to draw the line."

 

Which is, of course, the motto of the Guild of Road Markers. One of their number has been gainfully employed at Klinkerhoffen marking out some parking spaces for the apartments.

[ian]

Most of Maifeld station will be hidden under the town. The downhill line is on the right and runs into two platform roads, as does the uphill line on the left. These then do a 180 degree turn to emerge into the daylight.

The precariously balanced piece of timber shows roughly where the raised town starts. The two downhill line platforms are now on the left, with a bay platform for postal vehicles.

Looking the other way the main lines will curve to the right on this level. The line supported by the G-clamp is the interchange siding for Maifeld Guterbahnhof which is no more than a hidden siding.

 

It all fits!

[ian]

Track alignments tweaked. The shortest platform (on the right) will take a 5 coach train at a squeeze or 4 coaches (as in the photo) comfortably.

 

The buildings give scale to the station's cutting. The masking tape band shows the rough thickness of the 'concrete raft' that will be over the station.

[ian]

First approximation of the OHLE.

 

I have decided not to power the overhead - I don't need to power the electric locos separately and it adds a whole level of extra work and complexity.

 

There's still a long way to go - but things will go quiet for a while now whilst I fiddle and tweak.

[ian]

Back to the layout after a break.

 

The platform edging at Maifeld is starting to appear - with frequent clearance checking as it goes down.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Hi @ian, I wonder if I might ask a question.  I was (re)-watching some of the early videos from page 1 and it got me thinking.  Forgive me if this has been explained before but what happens with the “shoe” when it crosses the point blade of a turnout?

 

It’s always been my understanding that with the Märklin “3-rail” system power is supplied via the central studs, with both rails electrified as the return (hence the reason reversing loops are no problem).  But I hadn’t allowed for point blades or crossings.

 

It could be that my basic understanding is wrong of course.  Just wondered.  Hope it’s OK to ask, Keith.

[ian]

@Keith Addenbrooke Pay attention Grasshopper...

 

If you take a trip through the haunted wing of the Peco catalogue you will find these items:

 

SL-17 Stud Contact Strip for Track - https://peco-uk.com/products/stud-contact-strip-for-track

SL-18 Stud Contact Strip for Turnourt - https://peco-uk.com/products/stud-contact-strip-for-turnout

 

Can you guess what the difference is?

 

The studs on points are taller so that the collector shoe is lifted up over the blades.

 

It really is all rather clever.

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by ian

[TT-Pete]

13 hours ago, ian said:

If you take a trip through the haunted wing of the Peco catalogue you will find these items:

 

Ohhh, so that's what those things are! I've sometimes seen tangled webs of these in dealer's 50p rummage boxes at swapmeets and wondered what they are for.